Cup holder



Feb. 11, l195:5 B, R, MELLOH 2,823,004

CUP HOLDER Filed June 7. 1952 United States Patent-O CUP HOLDER BernardR. Melloh, Middletown, Ohio Application June 7, 1952, Serial No. 292,224s claims. (c1. 24S-21s) This invention relates to an attachable holderfor a paper cup and in particular to a holder which may be easilyattached to a paper cup and placed upon a window or any other suitableplace in an automobile or the like, although not necessarily so limited.

Whenever food is ordered at a drive-in while in an automobile, thearticles of food are generally placed on a tray for attachment to theside of the window of the automobile. These food yarticles are generallydistributed to the occupants of the car. However, when several items orarticles are ordered by a person, he generally nds it very difficult tomanipulate all of them at one time. One of the most diicult articles tohandle is a paper cup containing a liquid drink or the like. It is,therefore, anV object of this invention to provide a holder for papercups which can be easily attached thereto and hung over a verticalsurface such as a window or ash tray.

It is a further object of this invention to providefa holder which iscapable of retaining the cups containing liquid without the possibilityof the cups being torn loose from the holder merely because of theweight of Vthe liquid therein.

It is also another object of this invention to provide a holder forpaper cups which is easily adaptable to vary- -ing thicknesses, sizesand types of automobile window panes or other vertical surfaces.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a paper cupattachment which is capable of maintaining the paper cup in asubstantially vertical position, which position is parallel to thevertical wall upon which the attachment and paper cup are hung.

Another further object of this invention is to provide a paper cupholder having a flexible lip cooperating with a tongue to permit the rimon a paper cup to be easily slipped between the lip and the tongue butbeing capable of retaining the cup therein. The holder has one surfaceportion extending from said tongue adapted to engage the paper cup andto be flush therewith over its entire length. A second surface portionin opposition to the said one surface is adapted to engage the verticalsurface of a window pane or vertical Wall upon which it is hung. An armextends outwardly from the second surface but at an angle thereto, so asto hang over the top of the window or vertical wall. The arm terminatesin a substantially vertical portion substantially parallel to the onesurface engaging the paper cup, so as to prevent the holder from beingaccidentally removed by a horizontal jar or the like.

Another object of this invention is to produce an inexpensive plasticcup holder that is eiiicient and dependable.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, thecombination thereof 'and the mode of operation, as will become moreapparent from the following description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the holder.

Figure 2 shows the paper cup being held in position by the holder whichis hung over a window in an automobile.

Figure 3 shows an end view of the holder.

Figures 4 and 5 show the device and paper cup hung on varyingthicknesses of Window panes or the like.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 represents a papercup provided with a rounded bead 12 thereon and reference numeral 13represents a portion of a side window in an automobile. The cup may alsobe made from plastic, light metal or like materials. The bead 12 engageswith a hook-like portion 14 on a holder 16 generally made of plastic.The hook-like portion 14 comprises a ilexible lip 18 overhangingoutwardly of a tongue 20. The lip and tongue terminate in an opening 15.The substantially wedge shaped main body portion 22 of the holder 16 isprovided with a surface 24 which extends from the tongue 20 at aninverse angle to the paper cup, so that the paper cup and surface are inengagement with each other to hold the cup lirm. The main body portion22 is further provided with another surface 2S which is in opposition tothe surface 2.4, the other surface 25 engaging the Window or the like.

The holder 16 is further provided at its uppermost portion with ahook-like arm 26. This arm forms an acute angle with the verticalsurface 25 of the holder. The arm 26 terminates in a retaining portion28, which portion is substantially parallel to the surface 25. The mainbody portion 22 is recessed, as best shown in Figure l, to provide aplace for advertising a name or the like. Furthermore, this recessedportion reduces the weight of the holder and thereby reduces the costthereof.

In using the holder, the paper cup is forced under the flexible lip 1S,so that the bead 12 will fit into the opening 15. The lip 18 beingflexible tends to hold the bead in the opening 15. Further, the tongue20 engages the underside of the bead 12, thereby preventing the cup frombeing removed'from the holder under normal usage. The cup may only beremoved from the holder by exerting a relatively large force sufficientto overcome the wedging action of the tongue 20 on the bead 12 and toseparate the lip and tongue.

The surface 24, having substantially the same angle as the side of thecup but in an inverse direction, engages the side of the cup 10 alongits full length. The liquid is then placed in the cup and it is ready tobe delivered to the occupant of the car. The occupant may then place theretaining portion 28 over the top of the window, so that the hook-likeportion 26 engages the top of the window. The opposing surface 25 willalways tend to engage the window or other similar vertical support alongits entire side. This Will enable the cup to be maintained in a verticalposition regardless of the thickness of the support. Also the hook-likearm 26 may be placed on different size windows, vertical supports, orthe like. The portion 28 aids the cup and holder from being jarred loosefrom its vertical support. The angle of inclination of the portion 26 issuch that the holder glides into contact with the side of the window.

`By this invention the inventor has provided an inexpensive holder whichmay be easily manufactured from plastic material and may be easilyattached to and removed from a paper cup. Also the base of the holder isprovided with room for advertising purposes. This invention furtherprovides a simple device with sufficiently strong retaining means tocarry the paper cup and the liquid contained therein and it may beeasily hung over a vertical window or the like.

This cup holder maybe made material, such as Tenite, istics. The holdermay be made by injection-molding by use of multi-cavity mold. The amountof material in from suitable plastic having the proper character' 3,each holder -is quite small; hence the cost of the material is nominal.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, itwill be understood that withinv the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed anddeiined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

`1. An attachable cup holder for a cup having a beaded edge portion,comprising a main body portion having a flexible lip, a tonguepositioned inwardly of said lip and terminating therewith to form anopening for receiving the beaded edge portion of the cup, said main bodyportion having a window engaging surface on the side opposite saidtongue, said body portion having a cup engaging surface extending fromsaid tongue at an acute angle with said window engaging surface, and ahooklike arm extending downwardly from the top of the main body portionand at an a-cute angle to said window engaging surface, said arm beingadapted to seat on a Window and maintain the cup in a substantiallyvertical position.

2. An attachable holder for paper cups to be hung in contact with avertical surface of a window or the like, said holder comprising meansfor retaining a cup including a lip portion projecting into said cup,and means for supporting said cup in a position such that the axis ofsaid cup extends vertically, said last mentioned means including asubstantially wedge shaped main body portion having a rst verticallyextending surface adapted tok engage the surface of a window, said mainbody portion diverging outwardly so as to have a second surface inopposition to said first surface adapted to engage the side of said cup,said main body portion having a hook-like arm diverging therefromforming an acute angle vwith the lirst surface of the main body portionadapted to overhang the upper edge of said window whereby the upper edgeof said window will seek the uppermost position within the acute angleuntil said first surface engages the vertical surface of said window.

3. An attachable holder for paper cups to be hung in Contact with avertical surface of a window or the like, said holder comprising meansfor retaining a cup, means engaging said cup for aligning the axislthereof vertically, said last mentioned means comprising asubstantially wedge shaped main body portion having a first surfaceadapted to engage the vertical surface of a window and having a secondsurface diverging outwardly relative to said rst surface adapted toengage the side of said cup, and an outwardly and downwardly directedhook-like arm integral with the main body portion, said hook-like armhaving a third surfaceV forming an acute angle with the first surfaceofV said main body portion adapted to overhang the upper edge of saidwindow whereby the upper edge of said window will seek the apex of theacute angle so that said iirst surface engages the vertical surface ofthe window, said hook-like arm terminating in a downwardly directedportion having a fourth surface extending substantially parallel to saidiirst surface adapted to pre.- vent said holder from being jarred out ofposition on the window.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.162,959 Janes et al. Apr. 17, 1951 111,777 Randall Feb. 14, 1871 302,323Cole July 22, 1884 350,807 Clark Oct. 12, 1886 454,655 Locke et al. June23, 1891 1,178,965 Stroecker Apr. 1l, 1916 1,203,942 Walker Nov. 7, 1916`1,343,855 Tyler Iune 15, 1920 1,365,934 Mitchell Jan. 18, 19211,744,196 Ames Jan..21, 1930 2,029,429 Koons Feb. 4, 1936 2,133,915Engert Oct. 18, 1938 2,246,606 Stender June 24, 1941 2,307,241 SayreJan. 5, 1943 2,578,237 Geistweit De'c. 11, 1951 2,606,733 KrajewskiAug'. 12, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 102,039 Great Britain Feb. 15, 1917

